Aikido Lineage

Maruyama and his international chief instructor Michael Williams Sensei through our head instructor. Maruyama Sensei was a direct and senior student of the Founder of Aikido: Morihei Ueshiba. We are an authorised dojo of Aikido Yuishinkai and licensed to examine students on Maruyama Sensei's behalf. Following his example we have practiced widely in the aikido arts and some other budo to enrich our core practice.

Head instructor

Daniel James started Aikido with the Ki Society progressing to Yudansha level before following Williams Sensei to Maruyama Sensei's Aikido Yuishinkai at its inception. He co-opened Brisbane's first Aikido Yuishinkai dojo at Southbank. His professional activities as a sports researcher continue to provide insights into practice and learning of Aikido as well.

Yuishinkai Aikido represented an opportunity to practice 'Aikido without boundaries' and whilst a seemingly lighter yoke than other schools carried with it the responsibility to continue to learn. Aikido Yuishinkai was a rare opportunity to study directly with one of the few remaining uchideshi of O'Sensei and a man committed to further developing his own Aikido through the roots of the art he studied as a young man.

A big part of learning is studying with high level instructors where possible. Below are many of the seminars attended. Thus striving to "drink from a flowing stream of knowledge, rather than a stagnant pool"

Ki Aikido beginnings

1. Taketoshi Kataoka Sensei 1995, Goshinkan, Byron Bay.

Chief Instructor of Ki Society International and head of the Kiatsu school in Japan, Sensei was our most frequent visitor in Maruyama Sensei's absence with the feeling of a "samurai hiding behind the shoji" on the mat.

2. Ken Ota Sensei and Steve Ota Sensei 1995

Mt. Gravatt Showgrounds, Brisbane.

Senior Ki Society instructors from Southern California as well as senior Judo instructors. This seminar focused on ukemi, breakfalling... something for which they are famous.

3. William Reed Sensei 1997

Goshinkan, Byron Bay.

Training first with the Aikikai and following Koichi Tohei Sensei to the Ki no Kenkyukai (Ki Society). Responsible for the translation into English of much of Tohei Sensei's writing and author of 'Ki: a practical guide for westerners' and many other titles. Sensei continues to live in Japan and study with the top masters. He was able to communicate so many aspects of Aikido from a western point of view.

4. Iwao Tamura Sensei and Ohara Sensei 1997

Goshinkan, Byron Bay.

The late Tamura Sensei, listed as one of O'Sensei's 4th generation students, brought old school samurai mind to Australia. Heading up ~50 dojos in Japan it was a real treat to have a senior Ki Society instructor not based at hombu come and teach us.

5. Takashi Nonaka Sensei and Eric Nonaka Sensei 1998?

Goshinkan, Byron Bay.

Based in Hawaii, Nonaka Sensei (from the first generation of Aikido students) is well known for his mastery of the sword.

6. Yoshigasaki Sensei 1998 Birmingham, UK.

, Brighton, UK. 1999

Sensei was the head of Ki Society in Europe, before establishing his own organisation recently. Trained as a scientist, Sensei was a unique blend of east and west with a focus on our perception of Aikido.

Roby Kessler, appointed as the new Australian Head Instructor of Ki Society gave a weekend seminar in Brisbane.

Maruyama Sensei returns

1. Koretoshi Maruyama Sensei 2002, Goshinkan, Byron Bay.

Maruyama Sensei, emerging from 10 years seclusion in a temple returns to Australia to show us what he has been working on. What a mind blowing seminar, and people came out of the woodwork to see and train with him.

A well known and senior Yoshinkan Aikido practitioner, Sensei gave a course for security personal based on Aikido principles at David Dangerfield's Sunshine Coast dojo.

4. Koretoshi Maruyama Sensei 2003,

Goshinkan, Byron Bay.

Moonshadow, lizard leg footwork is introduced. inspired by the shinkage-ryu sword school it adds a level of precison to the art. Also the three levels of practice kotai, juntai and ryutai are refined. Some partner sword exercises - that are the forerunner of shinkage ryu inspired kata to be =revealed at later seminars.

5. Koretoshi Maruyama Sensei

Goshinkan, Byron Bay.

2004,

The rising moon and lightening kata are introduced for paired sword and jo practice together with further refining the yuishinkai syllabus.

Kataoka Sensei introduces Ki Society deshi Iwade Sensei. The seminar was focused mostly on Ki development and the oneness rhythms excercises explaining Aikido was a path to understand Ki and not a martial art per se.

7.

Koretoshi Maruyama Sensei,

Goshinkan, Byron Bay.

2005

Marauyama Sensei returns and introduces the weapons practice of the Shinkage ryu and his concept of yuki. Hints at, then formalises his incorporation of the Daito ryu lineages of Aikido into Aikido Yuishinkai.

8. Koretoshi Maruyama 2006

Griffith University, Brisbane (attendee and seminar organiser)

Maruyama Sensei returned to Griffith University after almost 20years teaching sword arts and original koryu aiki techniques as an aid to understanding Aikido

A senior
Australian Aikikai teacher, Sensei has reinterpreted the kata of aikido
as an art where there are no technique and no throws, instead uke is led
running into limbs or falling over. Developed as a result of a long
association with Bob Jones, its a unique bunkai to help understand
aikido

Oshima Sensei,
former student of Maruyama Sensei and founder of Kodokai Aikido gave
a seminar focusing on the stretching of the body through Aikido practice.
Attended by most dojo in Adelaide of all different Aikido styles it
was a real melting pot experience.

A part of studying budo (or martial way) is to occasionally draw on experiences in other arts, sometimes developing relationships with these arts. In addition some of the seminars attended in other arts include the following.

Wally Jay, famous for his development of small-circle jujitsu (a jujitsu with very similar aiki-type principles), co-taught with his son, a senior instructor, at this Dillman method seminar. Attended by many different arts - it was a fascinating insight into the principles of Aikido as jujitsu and the lurking vital point techniques in Aikido technique.

2. Glenn Zwiers, Close Quarters Combat 2001

Brisbane

One of the military styles popular at the moment this was a great opportunity to find out more and discover a few new tricks, reality based fighting and to discover Aikido skills are a good foundation for doing these things.

3. Steffen Messerschmidt, Knife Defence seminars 2003

A senior Jeet Kune do and Jujitsu instructor Stefan taught Philipino based knife fighting as a precursor to knife defence over 2 weekend seminars. Interestingly Aikido skills with some careful tweaking (to take it from the armour-clad samurai and into a back alley) seemed to be similar.

4. Mike Clarke, Target Focused training 2007, 2008;

Sydney.

Brisbane. (attendee and host)

The pointy end of the stick, these sessions were lead by an experienced Aikido instructor who is now an authorised TFT instructor.

5. Catherine Schnell Sensei, Personal Safety Concepts 2008 Brisbane. Sensei award winning Self defence programme was presented for the 3rd time and she authorised several to deliver the programme

Dojo memberships

Spring Hill Ki Society 1993-1998, Spring Hill, Brisbane.

Finsbury Park Ki Aikido 1998-1999 (2 months)

Muswell Hill Ki Federation 1999 London.(3 months)

Brighton Ki Society 1998-1999

Wesley Clark Persaidiri Silat 1989, 1996 Tarragindi, Brisbane

Griffith University Tae Kwon Do club 1996 (3 months)

Wu-style Tai Chi 1999 London.(beginners course)

Griffith University Aikido Club 1993- Brisbane.

Coorparoo Ki Society 1998-2000, Coorparoo, Brisbane.

Cleveland Ki Society 1996-1998, Cleveland, Brisbane.

Visiting dojo

Whilst travelling I try to pack a dogi, and hakama to train abroad. Here are some of the dojo I have visited:

Coventry Ki Society 1998

Goshinkan, Byron Bay. (many times) 1995-2005

Rocky Mountain Ki Society, Boulder, Colorado. 1996

Shinmeikan Aikikai, London. 1998

The dojo, London. 1998

Iwama, London. 1998

Shindai Aikikai Florida june 2002

Parsons Green Ki Society 2002

Toronoto Aikikai Oct, 2003

Vienna Shumeikan, Oct 2004, July 2010

Clifton Hill Aikikai

David Brown, Christmas Hills. Feb 2005

Melbourne Aikikai 2004. Mar 2006

RyuShinkan, Melbourne 2004

Shudokan, Melbourne 2004

Tokyo Aikido Yuishinkai Sept 2005, Sept 2006, 2007, 2008

Osaka Aikido Yuishinkai and Daito ryuaiki-jujitsu. Sept 2005

Osaka Ki Society. Sept 2005

Shosenji Temple, Osaka. Sept 2005

Relevant Professional Development

Drawing
on the professional sporting community is a good way to develop
coaching, learning methodologies and safe practices in the dojo.

1. NCAS Level 2 2011(Danny and Alison completing), National Coaching Accreditation Scheme, through the Australian Jujitsu federation for qualification issued by the Australian Sports Commission, Australian Government